Today’s Bride Myths
MYTH: Print is dead.
TRUTH: When it comes to the wedding industry, nothing ever dies…except shoulder pads and burlap (please, God, please!). No matter the economy, weddings will continue to thrive, and because brides need somewhere to get inspiration, bridal magazines will, too. These couples have never spent this much money, on things they never purchased, from people they never heard of. 72% of brides rely on wedding magazines for their planning process, and the average bride collects 4-6 issues of her favorite wedding magazine! She’ll then pass that magazine on to her engaged friend, who will see the ad you invested in 18 months ago and search your website. The Today’s Bride Magazine is not a monthly periodically, it’s a full engagement planner. And just like print, your magazine ad will never expire.
myth: local advertisers get put on the magazine covers.
TRUTH: Throughout our magazine pages, you’ll see images from local photographers, florists, venue spaces, and so much more. We even host a Talent Showcase in our Akron edition, inviting bakeries and florists to showcase their work in a special spread. We also work hard to promote our vendors’ work online via blogs, real weddings, styled shoots, and social media posts. However, when it comes to the cover of our magazine, we do our best to feature out-of-state vendors. We love all of your work too much, and simply could not choose ONE photographer, ONE event space, or ONE designer to feature.
MYTH: SHOWS DON’T WORK.
TRUTH: Shows provide instant interaction with engaged couples -the savvy business is there to get a share of it. For exhibitors who don’t put effort into their design, don’t collect leads or follow up with interested prospects, sit behind a table looking at their phone, or don’t interact with attendees who stop at their booth, shows don’t work. But if you embrace the event with a winning attitude, welcoming smile, helpful responses, and your best sales pitch, you’ll meet hundreds of couples looking for services just like yours! A show is only as good as your preparation and follow-up efforts, though. Just like you probably won’t remember the names of most of the couples you meet at the show, they might not remember yours, either. They’re meeting and talking to hundreds of vendors, picking up pamphlets, and getting distracted by pretty wedding dresses and selfies with their bridal party. It’s your job to connect with your ideal prospect, collect their contact information, and reach out to them after the show to set up an appointment, send more information, or simply remind them of your services. If you wait for them to reach out to you, you’ll be waiting forever.
Myth: The March Akron Bridal Show only has 200 brides.
TRUTH: On average, the March Akron Bridal Show welcomes 400-500+ brides each year. These brides come from not only Akron, but also Canton, Cleveland, and Youngstown. Don’t believe us? Just talk to one of the 100+ exhibiting businesses.
myth: Photographers have to buy a print ad to be in the january i-x center show.
TRUTH: Photographers don’t have to have an ad in Today’s Bride magazine to exhibit in the I-X Center Wedding Show. However, they are required to buy a double booth space at this show if they do not have a year-long marketing campaign (print/digital or both). This investment minimum is to protect experienced and professional photographers from having to compete with the weekend warriors, pop-up, and wannabe photographers that may not be reputable with experience or take this industry seriously.
mYTH: hIGH-END BRIDES DON’T COME TO BRIDAL SHOWS.
TRUTH: Every bride is a “high-end bride” in at least one aspect of her wedding. While one bride may splurge on photography and have DIY centerpieces, another may drop $10,000 on flowers but play music from a friend’s playlist. All in all, there is something she’s willing to spend money on; it’s your job to make that something you. 63% of brides attend at least one bridal show during their planning process, and while brides love free samples of cake and watching the fashion shows, that’s not why they attend. 60% of Today’s Bride Show attendees say they come to the show to meet local vendors. That means they want to spend their money on you!
myth: TODAY’S BRIDE INFLATES THEIR BRIDAL SHOW ATTENDANCE FIGURES.
TRUTH: Ask any exhibitor from a past show and they will confirm that the lead lists are accurate. So accurate, there is even a column on the lead list that indicates if the registered bride physically showed up to the show or registered and couldn’t make it there. Not only is this full transparency, it’s very useful to help exhibitors customize their follow up campaigns accordingly.
myth: today’s bride is too expensive.
TRUTH: There’s no simple answer to this myth, as no other marketing strategy, ad campaign, or area bridal show offers the same results as Today’s Bride does. For instance, smaller, boutique bridal shows at malls, hotel ballrooms, and banquet halls may cost less but also averages less attendees, meaning a lower ROI. A newspaper or radio ad isn’t targeted to your audience, meaning wasted dollars. While a Google or Facebook Ad is targeted, there’s no guarantee in the number of impressions, clicks, or conversions you’ll see week to week, though the cost can climb quite quickly. Today’s Bride Shows invests in marketing our shows, meaning a larger attending audience; we average 15,000 visitors online each month; and we distribute 30,000 magazines to targeted, qualified brides each year. While there may be cheaper marketing options, you’ll see results that mirror the amount you spend. Most successful shows are spending more money on advertising; which your business then gets to share in the benefits of that marketing.
MYTH: we throw out leftover magazines.
TRUTH: We hand-deliver our magazines to local businesses throughout the Northeast Ohio area. If you have leftover magazines when we deliver the newest editions, don’t throw them out! Our 8,000+ attendees at the January I-X Center Show will have the opportunity to grab a copy, as we giveaway any extras there!
